"My 4 priority players are Yuzvendra Chahal, Kagiso Rabada, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Ravi Ashwin" - AB de Villiers' wish for RCB in IPL 2025 auction
Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter AB de Villiers wanted the franchise to prioritize bowlers with the street smarts to bowl at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in the IPL 2025 mega auction. The RCB and South African legend listed Yuzvendra Chahal, Kagiso Rabada, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Ravichandran Ashwin as the primary options in the auction.
Despite a remarkable comeback to qualify for the playoffs in IPL 2024, RCB came short of winning their first title with a defeat to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Eliminator.
It meant the franchise retained only three players - Virat Kohli (₹21 crore), Rajat Patidar (₹11 crore), and Yash Dayal (₹5 crore) ahead of the mega auction.
About RCB's strategy for the auction, De Villiers said on his YouTube channel as quoted by TOI:
"My four priority players are Yuzvendra Chahal, Kagiso Rabada, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Ravi Ashwin. We can make a plan with the rest of the money we have left in the auction. If you can't get Rabada, I get hold of Mohammed Shami. If you can't get him, get hold of Arshdeep Singh. So there's lots of options."
"We don't need a trophy. Forget about the trophy. We need a trophy. We need a team that understands the Chinnaswamy, who can bowl to plans, who can play to plans, who has got a very good understanding about the game of cricket," De Villiers added.
De Villiers played for RCB from 2011 to 2021, helping them reach two finals in 2011 and 2016.
Meanwhile, the 2025 IPL mega auction will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on November 24 and 25.
"Let's get Yuzi back at RCB where he belongs" - AB de Villiers
![Chahal has been with RR since IPL 2022 [Credit: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/11/82361-17309598418063-1920.jpg?w=500)
AB de Villiers was adamant about RCB getting leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal back in the setup during the 2025 IPL auction.
The 34-year-old was integral to the franchise from 2014 to 2021 before moving to Rajasthan Royals for the last three years.
"The good news is we still have Virat. And we didn't spend too much with the retentions. There's a lot in the bank still, which I am very happy about. Let's get Yuzi (Chahal) back at RCB where he belongs. He should have never left," De Villiers said in the same interaction.
Chahal was the Purple Cap winner in his first season with RR in 2022 and is IPL's all-time leading wicket-taker with 295 scalps in 160 outings.
The 34-year-old helped RR qualify for the playoffs in two of the last three seasons, including finishing runners-up in 2022 but wasn't retained by the franchise.